Alarm of fire was given on Sunday evening, April 3, 1904, at 11:10 o'clock. The company responded and found Gemberling's Bakery in flames. Connections were made and the fire was extinguished in 45 minutes.
Fire struck Coopers Bakery in Lykens. The bakery was well known in the area, having many home delivery trucks that covered routes as far away as Ashland and Pine Grove. The bakery portion of the bulding was destroyed, but a portion of the bulding which once housed a restaurant was saved because firemen cut open the roof of the building and held the fire at that spot. (probably the first use of a trench cut in Upper Dauphin County) During the fire, a wall collapsed injuring two firemen. Lykens and Wiconisco firefighters responded initially, but with a large fire and a poor water supply, help was needed. After several attempts to contact Dauphin County on the radio, the Engine 22 operator, Chal Welker, instructed a resident to go call the telephone operator and have them send Williamstown and Elizabethville to assist at the fire. (during this era, Dauphin County used only one frequency, 33.90, for all communications, sharing it with York, Lancaster, and Lebanon Counties.) The location of the call was adjacent to the Wiconisco Creek near the east end of the borough in a low area. Radio communications were poor at best. Water supply was supplemented by portable pumps set up at the creek. Chief 21, Charlie Wertz, told of being at the R&K Diner servicing a pinball machine when the regulars noticed the large cloud of smoke to the east. This was in the days before mutual aid automatically got called to assist.
Engine 22 was dispatched to the McNeal residence in Powells Valley to assist Company 19 with a structure fire. Companies 21, 216, and 29 were also on the call. Engine 22 responded, and upon arrival, assisted with fire suppression and overhaul until released by command.
At the request of Medic 6, Company 22 dispatched class one to 675 Main Street for a lift assist. Truck 22 responded with 7, and all three chiefs responded POV to the scene. On arrival, the crew assisted EMS with taking their patient from a second floor bedroom to their transport unit, and then went available.
At the request of EMS, Company 22 dispatched class three to 904 Main Street in Lykens for a lift assist. Chief 22 responded to the scene and Truck 22 went enroute with 4. On arrival, crew assisted EMS with transferring a patient from his home to the transport unit, and went available.
2013
Accident with no injuries, 710 Main Street (Box 22-1)
At the request of Chief 22-1 on scene, Engine 22 dispatched class three to in front of 710 Main Street for an accident involving multiple vehicles with no injuries. Engine 22 responded with 5, and on arrival, Chief 22-1 went to the station and brought Utility 22 to the scene with 2. Crews found a silver Lincoln Town Car that had struck two other parked vehicles, and then struck a porch and fence of an adjoining property and then split it's oil pan. Crew applied hi-dry to the oil spill and fire police directed traffic around the scene until the arrival of Lykens PD. Command then placed the box available.
Companies 26, 21, 28 and Truck 22 dispatched class one to 4792 Route 25 in Mifflin Township for a reported stove fire. Truck 22 went enroute with 7 and was canceled shortly after by Command 26, fire was out.
Company 22 and Engine 23 dispatched class one to the Lykens Laundromat at 501 Main Street in Lykens for an odor of gas in the structure. Chief 22 responded POV to the scene and on arrival assumed command of a 2 story 25 by 75 foot wood frame single dwelling with a laundromat on the first floor and apartments on the second floor. Engine 22 responded with 5 by way of South Second to Pine Street and staged at the hydrant at Main and Pine Streets. Truck 22 responded with 5 by way of Market Street to Main Street and staged on the A/D corner of the structure. Utility 22 responded with 1 and staged on Pine Street. Engine 23 responded and staged on Main Street at the hydrant in front of 545 Main Street. Crews took gas meters interior and checked for readings with all readings 0. A Truck crew checked the apartments upstairs and found no odors or gas smell. A buried propane tank was found on the C side of the structure and the valves were closed. Truck crew set up a fan to vent the first floor. The owner was contacted and sent a representative to the scene along with contacting his gas supplier. After venting the first floor command placed the box available.
Company 22 dispatched class one on the 24-1 box to 440 West Broad Street for a structure fire. 24 EMS arrived moments later on scene confirming a working fire in a 2 and one half story wood frame single family dwelling 20 feet by 40 feet. Truck 22 responded with 7, Engine 22 with 5, Utility 22 with 5 and 3 members POV. On arrival the Truck took side A and went to the roof to vent. Live wires were present on side A and crews used caution to avoid contact with them. Engine and Utility 22 arrived and staged on Division Street and went to side A and assisted with fire suppression. The structure was fully involved on side A with fire from basement to roof line. Members of the Truck crew set ladders and assisted other companies in suppression activities. Crews from 24, 23, 22, Schuylkill 22-15 achieved a knockdown and the overhaul phase then began. Additional aid was summoned from Schuylkill 22-11 and 22-41 as well as Rescue 67-50 for air. Tankers from 23, 24, 21, and 20 were also on scene. Engine 27 was requested to relocate to Station 22 which they did with a crew of 5. PPL arrived on scene to kill power to the structure. Extensive overhaul was performed and fresh crews rotated in to the interior to assist. Company 22 continued with overhaul until released by Command 24.
The section of calls we've responded to has been compiled from fire company records, newspapers, and other sources. Listings for years prior to 1981 might be incomplete.
2.
The listing of local incidents is for incidents that happened around our local area, including some from Lykens for which the fire company was not dispatched. It is certainly not a complete listing, and is not intended to be. It is included here for your entertainment. Incidents listed here have been gathered from public sources.
3.
The listing of other noteworthy incidents includes incidents from anywhere outside our local area (for which we were not dispatched). Also included in this section are historical events from our fire company, Lykens, or around the world. It is certainly not a complete listing, and is not intended to be. It is included here for your entertainment. Incidents and events listed here have been gathered from public sources.
4.
These lists can be filtered. Use the control section above to activate or de-activate filtering. Filtering will not affect the list of incidents we've responded to. But, it will be applied to both the other lists.
